Page 39 of Dark Elf Makes Five

A door creaks open just down the hall. We all turn as Kessara steps out of my bedroom, wrapped in nothing but a white bedsheet that pools around her bare feet. Her dark hair falls in wild tangles around her shoulders, thoroughly mussed from our night together, and her cheeks carry the flush of recent sleep.

Her hazel eyes widen as she realizes we're standing mere feet away, watching her emergence. For a heartbeat, she freezes like a deer caught in torchlight, the sheet clutched against her chest.

"Good morning," she manages, her voice a whisper.

The sight of her—disheveled and beautiful and utterly mine—sends heat coursing through my veins despite the serious conversation we were having moments before.

"Good morning, sweet." I let my voice drop to a sultry purr, enjoying the way her blush deepens. "I'll be there in just a moment."

She attempts to smooth her unruly hair with one hand while maintaining her grip on the sheet. "I should just... go back to my room. The children will be wondering where⁠—"

"Stay put."

Her mouth snaps shut at my firm tone. I turn back to Halvren and Draven, both of whom are studiously examining the ceiling with professional interest.

"You know what to do. Get it done."

They nod in unison and retreat down the hallway with remarkable speed, leaving us alone. I stride toward Kessara, who takes an instinctive step backward until her shoulders hit the doorframe.

"Zerion, this is⁠—"

Her protest dissolves into a startled squeal as I sweep her into my arms, sheet and all.

"My Lord, this is not appropriate," she scolds, though her arms automatically circle my neck.

"Nothing about what has transpired in the last twelve hours has been appropriate, Kessara." I carry her back into my bedroom, kicking the door shut behind us. "But you seemed to enjoy it anyway."

I lay her gently on the rumpled bed, then climb over her, bracing my weight on my forearms. Her hair spreads across the pillows like smooth wine, and I brush the wild strands away from her face with careful fingers.

I lean down and press my lips to the hollow of her throat, savoring the way her pulse jumps beneath my mouth. The sheet has slipped lower, exposing the elegant line of her collarbone, and I trail kisses along the delicate curve of her shoulder.

"Zerion," she breathes, her hands fisting in my hair as I find a sensitive spot.

A soft whimper escapes her lips as I graze my teeth against her skin, and I smirk against her neck, thoroughly pleased with the response. She squirms beneath me, the movement causing the sheet to slip even further, but I keep my touches deliberately light, teasing.

"I've already given Halvren instructions to prepare rooms for the children." I lift my head to meet her startled gaze. "They'll be moved from the servants' quarters into proper chambers in the family wing."

Her hazel eyes widen, and she attempts to sit up, though my weight keeps her pinned against the mattress.

"That's not necessary." Her voice carries that stubborn edge I've grown so fond of. "They don't need special treatment. They can stay with me in my room downstairs."

I brush my thumb across her lower lip, watching her pupils dilate at the simple touch.

"You won't be staying there anymore either."

Her breath catches. "What do you mean?"

"You'll be staying here. With me. In my room." I lean closer, my voice dropping to a possessive growl. "In my bed."

"Zerion, you can't just⁠—"

"I can do whatever I please in my own house." I capture her chin between my fingers, forcing her to meet my gaze. "And you will accept whatever special treatment I deem appropriate to give you and your siblings."

Fire flashes in her eyes—that magnificent defiance that drew me to her from the very beginning. But beneath the rebellion, I see something else. Acceptance. Trust. The knowledge that she no longer has to fight every battle alone.

"You're being ridiculous," she whispers, though her protest lacks conviction.

Instead of answering with words, I claim her mouth with mine, pouring all my possessiveness and need into the kiss. She melts beneath me immediately, her arms winding around my neck as she surrenders to the heat between us.